Centrifugal lubricator



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

PHILIP M. SHARPLES, OF WEST CHESTER, PENNSYLVANIA.

CENTRIFUGAL LUBRICATOR.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 408,859, dated August13, 1889. Application filed January 10, 1839. Serial No. 295,950. (Nomodel.)

T0 at whom it may concern: j

Be it known that I, PHILIP M. SHARPLES, a citizen of the United States,residing at Vest Chester,in the county of Chester and'State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inCentrifugal Lubricators; and I do declare the following to be a full,clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

My invention relates to means for lubricating rotating shafts by passingthe liquid lubricant repeatedly through the bearing.

I am aware that lubricants have heretofore been pumped back to the pointof supply; but the object of my invention is to efiect a continuouscirculation in a novel yet simple and effective way.' The principleconsists in utilizin g the centrifugal force with which the lubricanttends to fly away from the surface of my invention.

Figure 1 is a sectional elevation of a vertical shaft and bearinginvolving my invention. Fig. 2 is a section through X Y of Fig. 1. Fig.3 shows a form of collar which may be conveniently used. Fig. t is asectional elevation of a horizonal shaft and bearing of equivalentconstruction, and Fig. 5 is a crosssection of the bearing through V W ofFig. 4. Fig, 6 shows another modified form.

The vertical shaft a passes through the bearing 0, which is representedas simply a bushing pressed into a frame or bracket A. The end thrust ofthe shaft is carried on a step. (Not shown.)

The collar 1) may be a separate piece, as

shown in Fig. 3, the bore being slightly smaller than the diameter ofthe shaft and the split permitting it to be forced snugly onto thelatter. The bearing is recessed at the bottom, as at f, to a sizeslightly larger than the collar, and a gland 70, which is a loose fit onthe shaft, is'screwed up into the lower end of the bushing until itsface (1 is close to but not in 0011- tact with the lower face of thecollar 1). An axial groove (Z in the bearing extends from an'oil-receptacle h at the top to the recess f, and a hole 8, forming asecond passage from the recess to the oil-receptacle, opens into theformer at the farthest possible point from the center.

.The oil, being supplied at 7L, passes downward through the groove (1 incontact wit-h the shaft and falls upon the upper surface of the collar1). The latter rotating with the shaft, the oil caught upon it isthrown. by the centrifugal force against the wall of the recess f. Thecloseness of the collar to this Wall, and also to the top surface q ofthe gland 7:, prevents it from escaping below the collar, as its contactwith the lower face of the latter throws it outward again, and its onlyoutlet is up .Ward through the passage 6 to the starting point h.

In the horizontal j ournal-bearing shown in Figs. 4; and 5 the essentialfeatures are substantially the same as above described. The cap-piecemcontains the oil-receptaclep,w11ie11 communicates with the horizontalgroove d by a hole 0*, and a parallel hole 5 returns the oil from therecess f, as indicated by the arrows.

Fig. 6 shows a variation from the construction illustrated in Fig. 1.The collar 1) is in this case shaped like the frustum of a cone, withthe larger diameter arranged to face the oil-passages d and e. Therecess f, which corresponds with the shape of the collar, is independentof the bearing, being formed in a flange t, which is secured to thelower end of the bearing or of the frame or bracket A. The oil caughtupon the collar cannot escape downward without also moving toward thecenter in opposition to the centrifugal force, and is thereforecompelled to take the outlet e.

I do not limit myself to the construction described, as othermodifications may be de vised Without departing from the spirit of myinvention. It is evident, also, that if: the return-passagee be omittedmy device is still valuable, as the lubricant will be retained in thegroove (Z by the diflicnlty of workin past the collar 1) and greateconomy be effected though a circulation be not maintained.

lVhat I claim is- 1. The combination,With a rotary shaft provided with acollar, of a bearing having a recess for said collar and an oil-groove(1 entering the same, said recess closely surrounding the collar andextending inward toward the center of the shaft, substantially as andfor the purpose set forth.

2. The combination, with a rotating shaft provided with a collar, of abearing having a

